The Nigerian Army has been accused of assaulting and illegally detaining a Voice Of America reporter in River State.
According to Sahara reports, the Nigerian soldiers in its attempt to clamp down the real information coming from Oyibo Rivers State, physically assulted and illegally detained one Grace Abdu, a journalist with Voice Of America.
Sahara reports that the alleged incident occurred on Saturday 28th November 2020 after the reporter attempted to interview a residents of Oyigbo in Rivers State.
After several hours in detaintion, the reporter was however released and her working equipment was handed back to her.
Speaking with SaharaReporters after her release, Grace Abdu said she had barely started her work when the soldiers assaulted and arrested her.
According to her, the soldiers described journalists as ‘enemies of the state and enemies of Nigeria’.
Grace said:
“I just started and first picture I took was of the burnt police station. The soldiers came in immediately and said I was snapping them. They abused me and assaulted me.
“They (Soldiers) held me for over five hours before allowing me to go. They said we are enemies of the state and enemies of Nigeria.”
The journalist stated that the soldiers asked her to apologise but she insisted that she had done nothing to warrant an apology from her.
She alleged that the security agents wanted their activities in the community to go unreported, hence, her arrest.
Recall that army operatives were deployed to Oyigbo amid the violence that broke out in the town after some alleged Biafran agitators clashed with security agents.
The soldiers have, however, been accused of extra-judicial killings and abuse of human rights.
